Direct confrontation between the Kremlin and NATO would unleash the third world war: Biden

Afp and Europe Press

Newspaper La Jornada
Saturday March 12, 2022, p. 3

Washington. The president of the United States, Joe Biden, reiterated yesterday that he will avoid at all costs a direct confrontation between Russia and countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) because that would be the trigger for a third World war.

We will not wage war against Russia in Ukraine. Direct confrontation between NATO and Russia would be the third world war, Biden asserted. The US president emphasized that a large-scale conflict, involving more powers, is precisely what has to be prevented.

Despite this, Biden has wanted be clear and has underlined Washington’s commitment to uphold every inch of NATO territory with all the power of a united and galvanized NATO.

Biden and the president of Ukraine, Volodymir Zelensky, yesterday agreed on more measures to support the European country in defensive matters in the face of the conflict triggered by the Russian invasion. This was reported by Zelensky at the end of his conversation with Biden, who promised to increase sanctions against Moscow.

The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, stressed yesterday that Washington’s commitment to NATO’s collective defense is ironduring his visit to ally Romania, which has received tens of thousands of refugees from neighboring Ukraine.

“We take seriously, and are prepared to act, our words when we say: ‘An attack on one is an attack on all,'” Harris said at a news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

Harris also thanked Romania, a Balkan country with 19 million displaced Ukrainians. He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not shown no hint of engaging in serious diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine. He reiterated that Americans must be prepared to put up with higher gasoline prices as Washington and its allies punish Russia, the world’s major oil supplier, with economic sanctions for the invasion.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated that the alliance does not want to intervene directly in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We have a responsibility to prevent this conflict from escalating beyond Ukraine’s borders into an open war between Russia and NATO.he added.